Aurelie's spider adventure

The day of the hiden spider

by Aurélie on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 12:40am


It's warm, it's sunny, but there are little things that remind you that you're not dreaming, for example kids waking you up at 7.00, and wanted to fed... As you all know, I'm not a morning person, but since my dear husband was deaf to Ela's cry for food I had to get up. Fine. Then sorry for the details (but everyone dealing with kids will understand) but it's pee time which involve me holding Ela on the toilet seat. Anyway this morning Ela did not want to go and made some disturbance on the seat. As I am holding her, I have direct view in the bowl (endless joy of parenthood). And what did I see coming out of under the rim? TWO spider legs!!!!!

I stop here to let you know that we already had our encounter of giant spiders, called babouk (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babouk). We usually catch spider with a glass and a sheet of paper and release them outside, but because of their size and tendencies to run and jump fast, we had to used a sieve to "neutralise" it.

So back to my story I had Ela wriggling bare bum in my arm and I was trying hard to not scream at the nightmare vison. Managing to get Ela out of the toilette without panicking her too much, I was faced with a very quick decision to make. Because they run so fast I had to think fast, but when I panic, I can't think. Now the spider was fully out in the bowl, I could flush the toilet, but with or without the lid? With the lid of, I could see what's happening (hopefully the spider going with the flow) but taking risk the spider could escape. Without the lid, the spider was less likely to escape, but I would never be sure it was really gone....

I chose the leave the lid open and flushed.... and of course the spider jumped out of the toilet to go hide behind it. Great!

Now I had the 2 kids getting excited behind me and a sleepy Stephen not being as manly I as could hope for (he is not that brave with those spiders either). Every time the spider came out, the kids would "try to help" and scare it away back behind the bloody toilet.

After a while it did not come out anymore and we had to go. Leaving a giant spider in the loose, who could go anyway in the house while we would be gone.

When we came back I could not see it anymore but I was hoping it was just hidden a bit further. All day I checked and could not see any sign of it. I looked under the wardrobe and the beds. Nothing. Obviously I did not want to check to much either in case I would disrupt something I did not even know. Only tonight we spotted it on the wall (well we hope it's the same anyway) and chased it outside with the sweeping brush.

I'm feeling a bit better now, but I can tell you that going to the toilet will never be the same again.